ALPLA and BillerudKorsnäs intend to leverage the development by combining their resources, competencies and strengths to support scaling ecoXpac in the commercialisation of a fully biobased and recyclable paper bottle.

ALPLA and BillerudKorsnäs intend to leverage the development by combining their resources, competencies and strengths to support scaling ecoXpac in the commercialisation of a fully bio-based and recyclable paper bottle.

The joint venture will be formed in the Danish paper bottle company ecoXpac, of which ALPLA and BillerudKorsnäs will own equal parts when the transaction has been completed.

ALPLA CEO Günther Lehner said: “With BillerudKorsnäs we have found an ambitious partner creating a new packaging market segment that offers a complementary consumer experience to our current rigid packaging solutions. ALPLA is sharing the passion for technical challenges and innovation. I want to emphasise the long‐term vision of the joint venture to introduce fully bio-based paper bottles. ALPLA is contributing capital as well as technical knowhow to the joint venture.”

Petra Einarsson, CEO and President BillerudKorsnäs, added: “I believe that with our shared and honest ambition to break new ground, ALPLA and BillerudKorsnäs now make an important commitment to contribute to a more sustainable future. The question is not ‘if’ but rather ‘how soon’ this joint venture will introduce a fully bio-based and recyclable paper bottle to the market. And when we do, it will enable a significant shift in consumer behaviour globally.”

Got the bottle

BillerudKorsnäs is currently the majority owner and has been a shareholder in the company since 2015.

ALPLA and BillerudKorsnäs share the ambition to drive packaging innovation in a sustainable direction. The two companies intend to leverage the development by combining their resources, competencies and strengths to support scaling ecoXpac in the commercialisation of a fully bio-based and recyclable paper bottle.

In late 2016, Carlsberg Group revealed a first physical prototype of a paper bottle, the Green Fiber Bottle, and the first generation of paper bottles has since then been in a testing phase. The plan now is to continue the development to be able to launch and then scale-up production.

Following generations will be both fully bio-based and have biodegradable barriers, thereby realising the vision and enabling consumers all over the world to live more sustainably. It is to realise this vision the two companies come together on this journey of innovation.

The formation of the joint venture is subject to customary regulatory approvals such as merger control clearances. It is expected that the transaction is completed in Q3 2019.

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